Homecoming
by Andrithir
Summary: Master Chief and Cortana are rescued, and now Master Chief is headed back to Earth, figuring out his next steps. Now fixing canon issues...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I have decided to write this story, just for the helluv it. So far I have read two stories that are along the lines of post-Halo 3, those are Justice League and Halo crossovers.**

**The Spartans of Onyx have made it back to Earth… and they get some R and R courtesy of Lord Hood.**

**Right now the UNSC has picked up a distress beacon.**

Homecoming

Three years after the events of Halo 3.

For Doctor Diana Dion, she was just tagging along on another search and rescue ride on the UNSC Frigate _Forward Unto Breach_. Walking to the bridge she had to shrug off many requests from the crewman to ask her out, since well, she's quite an attractive brunette. Ever since the crew learned her husband had cheated on her, the horde of men hitting on her stepped up once more. Apparently juicy gossip sped really, really fast. When Diana finds out who spilled the beans; it would be a dark day.

The doors parted and the Doctor entered the bridge.

"Exiting slipspace," AI Curator said

"Copy that," said the Captain, "Doctor if you would please take your seat,"

Dion nodded. The doctor strapped in and buckled up as _Unto Breach_ exited slipspace.

"Captain Hank, scanners pick up a distress beacon in the area,"

"Curator, set course to the beacon,"

"Aye, aye Captain,"

The Frigate shifted and headed towards the beacon.

"Oh my god," whispered Diana as she saw a UNSC Frigate or the rear half of it came into view.

"It's UNSC _Forward Unto Dawn_," said Curator

"Guess we know where the rear end of it is,"

"You think anyone on there is alive?" asked an ensign

"Maybe there's an AI," suggested another

"Hold on, someone or something on board is sending us a message,"

…

"Chief, wake up,"

The cryotube opened and John climbed out, he felt groggy and a slight tingling sensation but soon regained his senses..

"Applying nutrient formula, Chief," said Cortana

The Spartan gagged on the formula, it always tasted bad no matter how many times he had taken it after awaking from cryogenics sleep. After that small yet terrible ordeal, John stretched his arms and legs.

"What is it?"

"We're going home, UNSC _Forward Unto Breach_ has arrived, we're going home," the AI smiled, "I'm sending them a message," the comlink crackled. "Chief, would you do the honours?"

The Spartan smiled and spoke, "UNSC _Forward Unto Breach_ this is Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan-one-one-seven,"

…

"Holy crap," muttered Captain Haley, "he's still alive,"

The crew started to get jittery, they soon were about to come face to face with a Spartan II, and as a bonus, it's the Master Chief, the Spartan who proved invaluable in the final days of the war, the one who watched the death of the three Prophets.

Diana had heard about this Spartan in particular, he is an absolute legend, and of course at the mere mention of him, many female members on board started to drool.

"This is Captain Haley, we're dispatching a Pelican Master Chief, welcome aboard," smiled Haley

…

John removed Cortana from the slot and inserted the data crystal/card into the armour. The Spartan felt that icy mercury feeling rush through his head.

"Home sweet home," sighed Cortana cheerfully.

The Chief grabbed a rung nearby and propelled himself to the hangar bay. There he waited until the Pelican docked and then boarded the vessel, cycling though the dropship's airlock system. John felt a great sense of relief, yet also anxiety, the same questions cycled through his head '_what now?'_

…

A number of off duty personnel had assembled in the hangar bay, all itching to see the Spartan.

"Oh here he comes!" said an off duty nurse to her colleagues.

The Pelican came in and docked.

"Anxious to meet him Doctor?" it was Haley

"No not really,"

"Well, you know protocols, you get the lucky job of giving him a medical exam," the Captain grinned, "If anything they say about him is true, he's a war machine,"

Diana sighed mentally, _Ohhhh boy, this just keeps getting better._

The Pelican docked and the hatch opened, out stepped a green giant. He was massive, and towered over everyone. His armour was burned, charred and covered in dried blood of fallen foes and friends alike.

"My god," muttered Diana

…

This welcoming committee reminded John of MAC Station Cairo and the award ceremony.

"We made it John," said Cortana

"Yeah, I guess we're the only ones,"

"Master Chief," said Captain Haley

John snapped a crisp salute.

"At ease Chief,"

After a quick tour, and amazingly a couple of autographs, Cortana was inserted into _Forward Unto Breach's _systems and John was sent to the infirmary for check-up. The doctor there was kind of pretty, she reminded John of Kelly, his closest friend from childhood. He wondered if she was still alive. In fact he wondered if there were any other Spartan IIs left.

"Master Chief," said Diana, "please take a seat,"

"Yes ma'am,"

"Please, it's Diana, not a really big fan of formalities,"

"Sorry, Diana,"

"Aren't you going to tell me your name?"

"John,"

Normally, names would be a private thing, but then again, Diana was a civilian and John wanted to get a hot meal as soon as possible, he had enough of MREs and nutrient formulas.

"Nice to meet you,"

Diana noticed John wasn't much of a talker; he gave a powerful aurora of hope and inspiration, and by the looks of it, very in control and disciplined. Somehow she got the feeling, after she got planet side, ONI is going to "catch up" to her, it happened before when she was examining ONI field agents and Black Ops soldiers. John reeked of military, classified.

"John, please take off the armour,"

The Spartan hesitated.

"Be a good boy John," smiled Cortana as she appeared on a nearby holoprojector.

_What a charming AI,_ thought Diana, seeing the AI's nude avatar and personality.

"Yes mother," sighed John.

The Spartan then took off his helmet with a popping hiss and revealing a rugged face to the Doctor. Diana noticed how pale his skin was, the neatly cut and cropped his brown hair was, his strong jaw, the horrific tales that his brown eyes had seen and a curving scar over his right eye.

_Wow_ Diana thought.

After five minutes, the armour was off, stacked neatly to one side and all that John was wearing were shorts and a t-shirt which revealed his mescaline physique. Diana marvelled the Spartan's shape.

"The shirt has to come off to John,"

The Spartan complied without argument, took off the shirt and folded it next to his armour. _Interesting, normally about now the guys would try to hit on me_, thought Diana as she mused over what she had just said.

"Alright, please sit on the bed,"

John nodded and sat on the bed. A couple of nurses passed by and gawked at the Spartan and giggled off. Diana just shook her head, _friggin school girls._

The Doctor then began to touch the Spartans body, examining for fractures of any kind or any hidden aches. She felt that his muscles were rock hard.

"Does this hurt?"

"Not at all,"

Diana ran her eyes along the Spartan's body; a thin scar ran along the Chief's chest, a heap of smaller scars here and there made by shrapnel, and massive bruises along his back.

"My god, how'd you get these?" said Diana aghast

"Which one?" asked John

"The long scar across your chest and the bruises on your back," the Doctor replied

"The one on the chest was caused by an Elite wielding an energy sword, the bruises on my back are from falling,"

"Falling from where?"

"He jumped off a ship, two kilometres above the Earth's surface," interjected Cortana

"Is he that crazy?" gasped Diana,

"Nope," replied the AI, "just extremely lucky,"

Examination was soon over, John snapped back on his armour, gave Diana a polite nod and walked off towards the cafeteria.

_What a polite fellow_, smiled Diana, no doubt the moment she reached the rec room where she and her friends hanged out, Diana would be bombarded by questions.

…

**A/N:**

**I just realised something… It is made evident that through Eric Nylund (Official Halo story writer) that John and Kelly have something between them in terms of chemistry… Normally fanfic writers would jump at that, instead we're seeing John and Cortana stories in greater number.**

**Just thought I'd point that out.**

**Anyway I will update soon.**

**I wrote this story late at night so be kind.**

**Please review… Constructive criticism will be taken openly will flames will be removed with extreme prejudice.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning: Adult themes and Sexual references**

**A/N:**

**Ah Separatist Supporter or CISfan… we meet again. **

**Anyway I find it kind of odd that I write about something that is a part of the Halo universe, and not many people jump to it… Apparently AIs aren't that interesting sigh. If you don't know what I'm talking about, its **_**Battle of the Maginot Sphere**_**.**

…

**Homecoming Chapter 2**

Diana sat at her desk reading John's test results, after all the beating he had taken, his internal organs were fine and he was fit for combat.

"How did you come to be John?" she muttered under her breath.

Her eyes scanned across the screen, his cognitive abilities, bone and muscle density is far beyond any normal human. Chronologically John was well in his forties; biologically he was still in his mid-twenties to early thirties.

"Must have spent a lot of time in the freezer,"

Dion just pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.

"I need a break," she sighed.

She found John attractive, but not THAT attractive, attractive. His calm and disciplined demeanour intrigued her unlike anything before. On a typical train of thought, one would think that a hero would be, well; open and friendly. The Spartan wasn't the exact opposite, he was somewhere in between; not much of a talker and humble. Diana found that respectable, especially since John didn't hit on her, unlike the other men on _Forward Unto Breach_.

Diana got up from her desk, pulled on her lab coat and left the infirmary.

She weaved through the hallways of the ship and passed the cafeteria to get a cup of coffee, then headed to the recreation room where she and her friends aboard the ship hangout for a bit. Entering the room she eyed a comfy looking chair and sat down; sipping the coffee. A few minutes later a couple of her friends who were off duty entered.

"So I heard you got to… exam the Chief," said Nicky suggestively, "c'mon Diana, spill,"

"There's nothing to say," sighed the Doctor

"Oh come on, something? Anything?" pleaded Nicky

"Alright, shoot,"

"Did he give you a… ride?" giggled Lauren

"WHAT? You perverted little girl, no he didn't. Anyway he's not much of a talker," protested Diana

"I take it he didn't hit on you," smiled Lauren

"Lauren," sighed Diana, "you're questions are totally over the line, Alice, it's your turn,"

"Is he cute, and does he have a hot bod?" asked Alice

"What is it with you guys? Is John you're a big part of your fantasies?"

"Oh so his name is John!" squealed Nicky, "c'mon answer the question Diana,"

_Ohhhh crap, I hope John doesn't mind me spilling his name_, thought Diana

"Fine, he's cute and has a scar over his right eye," sighed the Doctor

"Annnnd?" said Alice tilting her head,

"And what?"

"His body… c'mon, talk!"

"Well toned, fit, and rock hard muscles…"

"Sounds dreamy," breathed Nicky

Diana shook her head, "and he has lots of scars and a couple of bruises on his back,"

"Oooh, looks like you guys did go to third base," teased Lauren

"Oh grow up Lauren," glared Diana, "he got the scars from jumping out of a ship that was two kilometres above the Earth's surface, I kid you not,"

She let that set into her friends.

"The Captain told me, from the stories he had heard about the Chief," said Diana, "that he is a war machine, bred to kill without hesitation,"

That statement presented John in a new light to Diana's friends. Well that was to be expected since they came into active duty on the last week of the war. Diana on the other hand served longer.

…

John sat in a booth at the cafeteria next to a window, enjoying a hot and hearty meal. This of course gave many of the crew to see his face, since John had took off his helmet and gloves to eat. Then Captain Haley came by to join him.

"At ease Chief," the Captain said before John could stand up and salute him, "can I ask you a favour?"

"How can I be of help, sir?" asked John

"Is it alright with you that you keep your helmet off, it makes the crew edgy when you have it on, I mean it's okay if you don't want to Chief,"

"That'll be fine sir,"

The two men then ate their meals and exchanged small chatter about their careers. From what John could tell, Haley was very much like Captain Jacob Keyes. Both men cared for the people that served under them, and they're brilliant tacticians. Though the Spartan wondered why Haley didn't command a Marathon class warship instead of a frigate when he was clearly eligible to do so.

"Chief, you better watch out, a couple of ladies have their eyes on you," chuckled the Captain as he took the tray back to the station.

John on the other hand went to the ship's gym to do a little training.

…

Diana and her friends just finished up with their exercise routines when John entered.

"Ohhh, let's stay her for a bit and watch him," whispered Nicky, hoping that the Spartan wouldn't hear, what they didn't know was that he did hear everything.

The other's agreed, and Diana decided to work out for a bit longer. The Doctor was clearly impressed when she saw John bench press weights that were clearly much heavier than he was. Then he moved onto the sparring ring and practised all forms martial arts taught to him when he was much younger, then he moved onto Chinese martial art form that took years to master, it would have taken longer if it weren't for Li-008's tutelage.

John moved so fast and precise that had other's in the gym gawking. Seeing him perform acrobatic feats that were near impossible for normal humans had caused a crowd to assemble in the gym.

After John had finished, he turned to the crowd.

"Uh, can I help you?"

…

It was sleep time now; everyone had gone to bed, sleeping away soundlessly. But for John, sleep didn't come, probably because John was anxious about what would happen to him now. He just sat in a chair at the observation deck, reminiscing about everything that had happened in his life.

He missed his friends, the Spartan smiled at the memory of Johnson who had been through hell with him when they escaped from Reach. It seemed so unfair that Johnson had to die because John and the Arbiter didn't notice the signs of 343 Guilty Spark's rampancy.

John's attention then shifted towards the Arbiter, the Chief wondered how the Elites were doing now that they were disillusioned, free from the Prophet's lies. It was to John, an honour to fight beside the Elites, the Arbiter in particular.

Yet one thing John missed the most was the Spartan IIs he grew up with, Kelly in particular. The many years of war hadn't eroded away Kelly's cynical humour and somewhat quirky personality, those qualities always brightened the mood. For Will on the other hand, the war did, Will use to be such a clown always cheerful, but when John met him again on Reach, Will just seemed cold and distant.

After a long time of silence, John decided to hook his helmet to a screen and started to play the footage that was recorded into his armour. The things John had seen weren't classified so there was no real harm done when he played the recordings. He switched back and forth to the times he spent with the Spartan IIs, oh how he cherished those short moments.

When he got back to Earth, he'd probably go look for the Spartan IIs who were washed out during the augmentation process. He wondered if Fhajad-084 was still around, maybe the two could catch up sometime.

…

Sleep also eluded Diana, who was just walking to the observation deck wearing fatigues and a hot chocolate in hand, there she saw John sitting in the corner, helmet off and watching some videos. The Doctor could see that the Spartan was reminiscing, something she would have never picture him doing. Diana just stood there and watched the Chief from afar, his thoughts dwelled upon the people he served with.

"You can come over if you want Diana," said the Spartan as he turned off the display.

"How did you know I was here?" the Doctor said as she sat at a seat opposite John.

"I heard your breathing and smelt the hot chocolate, at first I thought you were another crewman, but you didn't move for a minute so I figured it was you,"

"Your good, and was it also I didn't prance around like a fan girl?" she joked

It took a while for John to catch on.

"That too,"

"Well, could you tell me a bit about yourself?" asked Diana, "I know it is a sensitive subject, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it,"

"Hmm, where to begin," started John.

…

**Well I am going on a ten day camp with yr10 at my school, so there won't be any stories coming out this weekend or the week later.**

**To put it short, I'm going dark for ten days starting on Thursday (Australia).**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm BACK! And it's good to be back from the ten day expedition. Walking through 80kms of rivers, thick foliage, shrubbery and mountainous terrain, eight guys out of two hundred had to be sent home or to the hospital due to severe injuries…. This camp was brutal, but the school's welcome back yr10 party was great! **

**Let it be said that private school students don't have it easy. We are not snobbish, and we are tired of being treated as such.**

…

"Where to begin," started John

"Well, how about this," suggested Diana, "what are you going to do when you get back to Earth?"

"I've never really thought of that," stated John

_Intriguing_ thought Diana, _I guess no one has really asked for his personal opinions except for things on warfare_.

"I guess I will look up any remaining Spartans," John's voice showed a hint of sadness; he also needed to be careful with his wording lest he wanted ONI Agents popping up.

"You miss them, don't you?"

The Spartan nodded

"We fought alongside each other for over thirty years,"

_When it comes to fighting, this guy goes beyond the call of duty,_ mused Diana, _but when it comes to his personal opinion or the social scene, he doesn't give away much. Then again he does reek of classified and has to be careful._

"What's the thing you want the most John?"

"A bit of r and r with my friends, try and forget about the war. I remember lying in the grass with my friend Kelly, she and I stargazed together. We always watched the cosmos with awe. My career with the UNSC gave me so many answers to my question, some were just wonderful, and others were terrifying."

"Never picture you ever being scared Chief,"

"Soldiers always get scared, Diana. Some fall apart in the midst of battle, some act foolishly and others acknowledge their fear and fight onwards,"

The rest of the moment was sat through silence. Eventually the two bid each other goodnight as Diana headed off for bed, while John sat in his chair, fiddling with a cup of lukewarm hot chocolate. Though brief her conversation was with the Spartan, it had given her plenty of food for thought on the return trip to Earth.

This moment would have to be the closest thing so far to an emotional outburst John had ever had since being conscripted into the Spartan program.

The Human-Covenant War was finally over, John was pretty sure that he would now be sent back to his original purpose; to combat the Insurrectionist threat. Though he doubted there would be any left surviving, even if there were survivors, they wouldn't bother the UNSC for a very long time.

John continually ran his right hand along the scar over his right eye, his mind wandered to the deepest corners of his memories, and eventually he drifted back to his moments with Kelly.

He let out a sigh and tilted his head back.

"It seemed so easy back then," whispered John, clinging onto the little strands of his childhood memories.

Cortana then appeared on a nearby holo-projector.

"What's bothering you Chief?" asked the AI sincerely

"Same question as always, what now?" replied John half-heartedly

"Cheer up big guy, you'll find out soon enough when you get back to earth, in the meantime, bonding with the good Doctor doesn't seem like such a bad idea."

…

**Yeah I know this Chapter is very short, but I'm working on something**


	4. Chapter 4

Since the war is over, John had practically nothing to do. For the first time in many years, he had something that everyone cherished and enjoyed, something that was extremely rare if not non-existent during the war; downtime. The Spartan found it difficult to unwind, after all, years of training and warfare either hardened you or broke you down, your guard doesn't disappear overnight. There was still a week left until _Forward Unto Breach_ would reach Earth and all the Spartan could do was just lounge and train in the gym like many other crewman. Of course he could just spend the duration of the trip in cryostasis, but Cortana and Diana detested to it, saying the Spartan should take a break and reminisce.

Although John did enjoy the downtime, he was getting a lot more than he was used to. He spent hours and hours reading news articles, history articles and watching movies. But eventually he burned his way through the ships archives and decided to find other things to do.

Walking down the brightly lit hallways with a cup of hot chocolate in hand, John arrived at the rec room. The room looked to be unused, all the other rec rooms had distinguishable features like comic strips or a snack bar in them, this room in particular was devoid of the personal touch. On the far side of the room was a window, and a very comfy looking chair, but that didn't really matter since he was in the MJOLNIR armour. In front of the chair was a drawing table oddly enough. It was obvious to John that no one used the drawing table since it was still folded up neatly. Eyeing a stack of blank pieces of paper and a mechanical pencil in the corner, the Spartan picked them up and took it over to the drawing table.

After setting the drawing table into a comfortable position to work with, John eased himself into the chair, and hoped that it didn't give way to the weight of the armour. He then took off his helmet and gloves and placed them aside, so that he could use the pencil.

John sat there for a moment, thinking of what to do while he tapped the butt of the pencil onto the desk. He could write memoirs, but then again his camera had recorded all of his adventures. Finally an idea came to him, drawing.

Just for starters, the Spartan decided to draw a hovering Forerunner sentinel. The Spartan Program never taught the candidates to draw, it did teach them to blend in with a civilian environment but it didn't teach them arts and craft. However that was a small problem that John overcame quickly since he had excellent precision, accuracy and superior cognitive abilities; the picture looked quite nice, as if it had been drawn by a sketch artist. He then added the artistic touches, such as lighting, shadows and background. _Not bad for a first time I guess_, mused John.

He then drew pictures of Forerunner Architecture, scenery from Reach, New Mombasa through his own eyes and Covenant warships. Eventually John picture Kelly, and decided to draw her and his close friends, but mainly Kelly. After a few hours, John managed to draw a very accurate portrait of Kelly, and he smiled at his handiwork.

…

_Hmm, occupied_, thought Diana,_ that rec room is never occupied_.

Diana read the sign outside the particular rec room and decided to take a peep. At the far side sat John, at a desk and was drawing something. Of course this little act from the Spartan intrigued the Doctor further; she had more pressing matters to tend to and would look into John's peculiar nature later.

…

After drawing about fifty pictures and burning through so many pacer refills, John decided it was time to turn in. He picked up his now lukewarm beverage, swished the cup and downed the contents in one gulp, then left for the spare quarters in the mid-section of the ship.

Arriving at the small room, he took of his armour, and wore a t-shirt and shorts to bed. He then placed a loaded pistol on the end table and slipped under the blankets, once everything was in check, he turned off the lights and drifted off into a blissful sleep.

…

Diana finished off with the last of her work and headed back to her quarters, along the way, she checked into the rec room that John was in earlier. In a neat pile were sheets of paper and perfectly drawn pictures. It amazed Diana that John could produce such works of art with a pacer.

"Never imagined him being artistic," said Diana to herself

The image of New Mombasa was what took her back a bit. The smouldering craters, wreckages of cars, torn down structures, exposed rebar and flyers that showed the missing, both civilian make and government ones alike littered the streets, all of them asking if anyone had seen a missing person and to send them a message.

Finally Diana saw the pictures of a woman; it was obvious that John had someone special.

"Hopefully she still out their John, it would be nice for you to be happy," smiled Diana

The Doctor didn't know much about the Spartans or how they came, but she knew that John deserved so much for what he has given.

…

At a hotel resort in Vanuatu...

Kelly lounged on an outdoor recliner; she looked across the pristine white sandy beach while sipping on some lemonade. _I wish John was here_, she thought. Across the waves, Linda and Fred were bonding together nicely in a snorkelling session. Kelly smiled at the two's new found happiness; often the three would visit the Memorial for the fallen and the John-117 Monument, and every time Kelly would bring a bouquet of flowers.

She leaned back into the recliner, closed her eyes for a bit and bathed in the sun, over the past few weeks, her skin started to gain a healthy golden glow. But then she tensed as she felt a presence next to her.

"Looks like you're enjoying you're r and r time," said a voice full of happiness, the voice belonged to a person Kelly thought she'd never hear again.

"Fhajad!" gasped Kelly as she swung her bare legs off the recliner.

Fhajad-084 stood in front of Kelly, not sitting in a wheel chair shaking uncontrollably, but actually standing and looking very fit. He then gave her a Spartan smile over his own face; Kelly returned the hand gesture across her own face. During their vacation, Halsey had taught them about social aspects of life, Kelly decided to put those lessons into practise.

"A smiles fine, but how about a hug? It's been over thirty years," beamed Kelly

"A hug will cut nicely," smiled Fhajad, who obviously had a lot more time to socialise with non-Spartan people, and was clearly not disturbed by a quick hug.

"We've got so much to catch up on,"

"Hold that thought Kelly, I want to call in the Doctor and Fred and Linda,"

A quick moment later, Fhajad was surrounded by a couple of his old friends who were very happy to see the once failed augmented Spartan, up and running.

"I've got some bad news, and good news, really, really good news," grinned Fhajad

"Bad news first Fhajad," said Halsey

"It will be about a week before he arrives,"

"Who's he?"

"That's the good news," smiled Fhajad, "John's back from the brink."

…

**That's a wrap, until next time.**


	5. Chapter 5

**References to **_**Starry Night**__**Halo 3**_** Trailer**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo series**

**Does anyone find it odd that we have to put a disclaimer on our stories when clearly this is a site for fans and we make no money out of what we are doing? This is more like free advertisement for the franchise we are writing about/for…**

…

Blissful was the right word to describe John's. His dream started off at Reach during his early years. It was a summer night and the stars shone brilliantly in the dark sky, behind them was the hue of the Galaxy. The soft breeze whistle through the tall grass where John lay, starring into the cosmos with Kelly.

"Do you wonder what's up there?" John asked

"Like what?" replied Kelly with a question

"Maybe someone up there is wondering what it's like here,"

"I guess, do you think we'll ever meet them?" said Kelly, starting to take more interest in the subject

"I hope so. Don't you?"

Kelly nodded.

"What do you think they'll be like?" asked Kelly

"Friendly, I hope,"

…

John woke up and was ready in an instant after his eight hour sleep. He remembered the dream he had, and smiled, it is the memory he held most dear to him as a child.

After getting out of bed, John retrieved a towel and headed for the changing rooms, where he took a shower. Two minutes of pure bliss for the Spartan as he let the hot water cascade down his body. He then finished up with his morning routing and donned the MJOLNIR.

…

Diana walked towards the cafeteria, after so many hours of work

The Doctor picked up soup at the bar and sat at a table where her friends were, not too far away from Haley and John's table.

"Answer truthfully Diana," said Nicky, "what's John like?"

"Why do you guys ask? He's out of your league,"

"Trying to have him all to yourself aren't you Diana," said Lauren

"Fine," submitted Diana, "he's very weary, contained, controlled, disciplined and already has someone special,"

"What!" yelled Alice, "no far!"

"You idiots," laughed Diana, "it's not me, John has someone else, someone he knew for a long time,"

"Oh,"

The women continued to eat their meals with light chatter every now and then, but something caught their attention. It was two ODST squads. One squad was full of hardcores and the other was reserved, calm, polite and disciplined.

The calm and polite ODST squad passed John and Haley's table first giving polite nods and greetings.

"Sir, Chief, good to see you,"

"Chief,"

The said ODST squad then walked towards a booth in the far corner of the cafeteria and tucked into their meals.

The next group which was the Hardcore ODSTs passed by, they all gave John a glare and muttered insults under their breaths.

"Freak,"

"Section Three Freak,"

Diana was greatly perplexed by the ODSTs behaviour, she guessed the best thing was to not talk to John about it, but maybe the AI Cortana, it was evident that those two were very close. If anyone one this ship that knew any personal thing about the Chief, it would have to be the AI.

The Doctor finished her meal, with a little mission in mind and headed towards the infirmary.

"See you later Diana," said Alice

"See you guys later,"

"Later," Diana's friends responded.

At the medical wing, Diana summoned the AI.

"Hello Doctor Dion, how may I help you?" the AI greeted formally.

"Well first off, you can drop the formal thing and be yourself, your nude avatar suggests that your not one for formality unless necessary," Diana chuckled.

"Alrighty Doc, how can I help?"

"Well I was at the cafeteria earlier and I saw two ODST squads pass John, now one squad was polite and the other was…"

"…full of hardcores," interjected Cortana

"That's right,"

"Yeah I saw the whole thing, are you wondering why they react like that to John?"

"You're good," complimented Diana

"So I've been told," said the AI cheekily

"Well would you mind explaining? I'm curious,"

"Okay, this information isn't restricted anyway. So I suppose there is no harm in showing it to you. After the Spartan IIs augmentation, they were sent to the UNSC _Atlas _were they could recover in microgravity, the Top Brass wanted to see how well a Spartan II would fair against normal but well trained human opponents, so they pitted John against a couple of ODSTs. Here's a little video from the security footage."

… _Start_

_It was a young John, working out at the various stations. Then four fit men with the ODST tattoo on their shoulders entered the room. That was when the confrontation began._

"_How about you take that pin and shove it meat!" sneered the leader of the ODSTs_

"_Hold it!" said a Sergeant who entered the gym, he was fat, and had his belly bulging over his belt._

"_Hey sarge, we were just…"_

"_If you guys are itching for a fight, then get in the ring,"_

_The five men entered the ring._

"_I'm going to rip apart you meat," spat the leader_

_John then launched himself at the leader, smashing the man's rib. He then turned and punched the next man across the jaw, snapping his head back and tumbling in a heap into a corner as blood oozed out of his mouth._

_The next ODST the swung a punch at John, who then sidestepped to avoid the attack and kicked the man in the stomach, the ODST doubled over and didn't move. The last man then grabbed a bar and launched himself at John. The Spartan then dodged and ducked the attack, and grabbed the bar and twisted. Breaking the ODST's wrist, the soldier howled in pain. John then gave a side kick, sending the soldier rolling end over end._

"_That's enough trainee," a voice said coolly, it was Mendez._

_John stood to attention and let the bar clatter on the floor. He was covered in blood and so was the ring._

"_What the hell are you!" said the Sergeant in shock towards John, the pudgy man then turned to Mendez, "Chief Mendez, what are you…"_

_The Sergeant's eyes widened when he realised what had happened._

"_He's one of them isn't he?"_

"_The medics are on their way," said Mendez calmly._

… _End_

"That was where the hardcore ODSTs hatred for the Spartan IIs stems from."

Diana placed a hand over her mouth, if there was anything that she learnt when it came to people or heroes like John, they all don't have pretty origins.

…

**Well I'm going to wrap this up in a few more thousand words and for the helluv it, I will work on a John/Kelly pairing… because I can… and there aren't enough John/Kelly pairings out there.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I just realised**_** Homecoming**_** is an already used title in **_**Halo Legends**_**. The funny thing is, I watched **_**Halo Legends**_** (every single one) before I joined Fanfic.**

**Technically, the video is called **_**Halo Legends Homecoming**_**, whereas my story is just called **_**Homecoming**_**, therefore, it's all gee.**

**And did you guys know that John-117's current rank is actually Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy… but he was posthumously promoted to this rank. **

**Better fix this.**

**Also Halo 4 is coming out in 2012, which kinda makes all my post-Halo 3 related stories null and void... Oh well you guys still enjoy reading them right?**

* * *

><p>John was sitting in a booth at <em>Forward Unto Breach's<em> cafeteria, enjoying a hearty beef steak, with Dian sauce and chips.

"Chief?" it was Haley, who was holding a tray with his meal; lasagne and a glass of water.

"Sir!" John stood to attention.

Haley smiled, "at ease Chief,"

Haley and John took their seats and began to eat.

"Chief, I'd just like to ask, do you know your current rank?"

John titled his head slightly; he knew where this was going.

"It's still Master Chief Petty Officer right?"

"Close, but no dice, its Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy,"

"Oh," said John, his voice showed little emotion, "that's great sir,"

Haley sure felt uncomfortable talking about such a simple matter to the Spartan, the way the Spartan held himself, it was practically devoid of any emotion, always weary, unable to relax.

The Captain then pulled out a picture from his pocket, a picture printed out on durable paper. The man smiled at the picture of his family.

"Who are they?" asked John.

"My family, this here is my youngest son, and my wife," pointed the Captain, "anyone special waiting for you at home?"

John looked away for a brief moment, "I don't know sir,"

"I understand," said Haley, preferring to avoid the very touchy subject.

…

At the infirmary, Diana sat at her desk, filtering through files and paper. The doctor leaned back into her chair, picked up her hot cup of coffee and took a small sip. She took the time to appreciate its aroma and flavour.

Diana left out another sigh and scrunched her eyes closed as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

The speakers chimed, someone was calling her, Diana pressed the answer button.

"Doctor Dion here," she sighed

"Doctor, we have arrived at Earth, ETA two hours until touch down," said an Ensign.

"Thank you,"

The com turned off.

…

_Earth, Welcome home ceremony…_

It was afternoon; the sun was at that angle where everything shone with an orangey yellow tint. The sea softly washed upon the warm white sand. Behind the beach were the beautiful building complexes of New Elysium. Their shapes where much like octagonal pyramids with its top cut off, and flora growing within the building and balconies. The blue sapphire like windows shone in the sunlight, and reflected the homecoming of a hero.

Kelly and the remaining Spartan IIs watched _UNSC Forward Unto Breach_ landed at Cairo's ports, even Maria-062 and her family was at the welcome-home-ceremony.

_Forward Unto Breach_ docked at the launch pad, locks were engaged, and honour guards stood to attention. Each man who stood in the honour guards, were armed with BR55HB SR, the same height and from different divisions. The first two pairs were ODSTs in their ceremonial uniform, the next were SPECWARCOM, and so on. Behind the honour guards were flag bearers, a military band and men and women from various UNSC branches.

It was truly a sight to behold.

Kelly and the Spartans stood next to Lord Hood in their MJOLNIR armour upon a podium, and from afar were civilians and reporters watching and documenting such a historical event.

The main hangar doors of _Unto Breach_ hissed, gasses were expelled from the vents around the doors. A large ramp from the docks extended and locked into place under the large doors.

The bay opened, and out walked John, his armour was battered and burnt, and riddled with chinks and gashes.

The Spartans' comlink then sparked to life, it was on their private channel. A seven note tune whistled through.

_Oly Oly Oxen Free._

"Were all free," replied Kelly.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I know this one is short, but hey, better than nothing.<strong>


	7. Author's message

**Duh herrow!**

**Well guy, I'm going overseas and won't be able to update any of my stories for about a month. But don't worry, I'll write whenever I get the chance and when I arrive back home I will post them all up. Right now I'm sitting at the gate (airport) awaiting to board the plane.**

**Scratch that part, I've been meaning to get this message out before I left Australia, but I never came round to it. Anyway, right now (3/7/11) I'm sitting in a hotel room, and I don't know when I'll get internet access again.**

**Currently working on:**

**A New Fight, G.I. Joe variation, currently writing chapter 2 and doing a rewrite of chapter 1 (which will have more content).**

**A New Fight JLU variation, currently rewriting Dark Hearts, I will combine both parts into one chapter, and also write the new part 3 as well, all of them will be combined into one chapter. I.E. Rewrite of part one and two, with the new addition of part 3, all combined into one chapter.**

**A New Era, writing Chapter 3**

**Homecoming, I'll think of something for the next chapter**

**Thanks so much for your supports and reviews so far. =D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Duh herrow! Well here it: is an update to **_**Homecoming**_**. You know, I never thought this story would be as popular as it is. I just like to point out, that I was talking about the city Cairo, not the MAC station.**

…

Well the ceremony went off with a hit, dignitaries, top brass and celebrities came and gave their thanks to Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Spartan II John 117, and now it was the so called intermission time. Where things would tune down for a bit, people would go home and get ready for the party held in John's honour later tonight.

Standing from afar with her friends and colleagues, Diana was wearing a white, women's Navy ceremonial clothing. Although the clothing didn't reveal much, it certainly did accentuate her good looks, which left many men gawking in her presence.

The doctor didn't really care about the gawking men; they'd have to settle for the next best thing, which were her friends. Good thing though, Diana's friends were chomping at the bit to meet new servicemen.

could see that the Spartan was bewildered and overwhelmed by all the affection and heroes' treatment he was receiving. The Doctor just smiled, she realised the true importance of this ceremony. That even though so much was lost in the Human-Covenant war, a great deal was recovered; a great testament to this was the return of Dr Catherine Halsey.

Her "death" had such a great backlash on the scientific community; many had thought she perished on Reach when the planet was glassed. But then reports confirmed that she was rescued by John who happened to return to Reach after the planet's fall, however reports after that said that she disappeared again and was presumed dead, a while later, a UNSC vessel stumbled upon a Micro Dyson Sphere and there was the Dr Halsey and a number of other Spartans.

Although the reports were sketchy, no one really cared when Halsey returned.

But the ultimate testament to the ceremony's underlying meaning is John.

The ceremony had finished nicely, and now it was for the party.

…

The party was held at a beautiful seaside restaurant, where the moon shone brightly over the water, and the soft breeze ran through the massive archways and pillars. On one side was a band performing a jazz song, and dancing couples and on the other side, groups of high ranking officers and veterans, eating meals at their tables. Near the dance floor was the Spartan-IIs' table where the Spartans ate and observed their surroundings.

"Nice party huh?" said Linda.

"I think it's a bit much," replied John.

"We all know you're modest John," interjected Fred, "and your view is that no soldier should be honoured for what is expected, which we all agree on, but what you've done during the war is above and beyond the call of what was expected by you. Just think of this party as a token of gratitude."

"That's one way to look at it," pondered John.

Not too far away was Diana's table. Diana often glanced over at the Spartans' table to see how they were doing, to her; she smiled to see John so happy, and was also beaming to see that sitting next to him was the girl he drew a portrait of.

"I'm going to ask him for a dance," said Lauren indicating towards John.

"Someone has already beaten you to him," chuckled Diana, "the women sitting next to him has got him,"

"They don't seem to be the couple-ly type," pondered Alice.

"That's because they've been caught up in the war too much to have time for one another."

Back at the Spartans' table…

John had been observing other tables and couples. He careful examined each way the couples danced and quickly got the hang of it. He then turned his attention to Fred and Linda who were on the dance floor, arm in arm, and slow dancing like other couples around them.

Fred and John were both wearing their black ceremonial military uniforms adorned with their rank insignia, campaign ribbons and medals. Kelly and Linda wore the female variation, well there were to variations, one was with pants and flat soled shoes and the other, which they were wearing, was with a dress bottom and medium heels.

John stood and then looked at Kelly.

"May I have this dance?" he asked with great sincerity in his voice.

Kelly smiled and nodded.

The two walked to the dance floor, and held each other, and then they began to move to the slow beat of the music, gliding across the marble floor.

John noticed that his Spartan friends had become more open, probably from spending time with Doctor Halsey and her lessons to integrate them back into human society. He liked that, he was getting use to the idea of hugs; it was one he was willing to do, since the hugs Kelly gave him were just wonderful.

The dance finished and the two headed back to their table.

"That was fun," said Kelly, she then placed her hands gently on John's shoulders and gave him a quick peck on his cheeks.

…

**A/N:**

**Okay, I just went totally blank, some help would be greatly appreciated.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I just thought I'd write this, because there has been way too many depressing stories on my "already read list," so I need to restore my feels.**

**So at first, this story was going to be a stand-alone. But then I thought, there's a lot of stuff in here which has support from **_**Homecoming**_**. So I made this the next chapter for the story you all thought I gave up on.**

**So just to re-illiterate, I had planned this chapter to be an entirely different story. But I realised that there were a lot of you wanting an update to this story, thus one plus one equals "you guys get a new chapter".**

**Last chapter was posted on 7/09/11**

**This is posted on 5/5/13 (my current TMZ)**

**So obviously, there's a huge time gap between the chapters. I do apologise for the change in writing style (or whatever you want to call it), but I'd like to think my writing style has evolved significantly since I first started writing fanfics.**

**Also, there are canon issues which I am aware of and will be fixing in the near future. Let's just assume that this part is set after the events of the Forerunner Trilogy.**

* * *

><p><strong>EARTH, NEW HAMPTON CITY, 5KM FROM FORT WALLACE IV, NORTH AMERICA<strong>

It was summer, the air was warm and the sun was slowly dipping over the ocean horizon. John casted his weary blue eyes out across the bay and watched the city skyline. His sensitive hearing could pick up the cheers of happiness from the harbour, the war was finally over.

Being far smarter than the average university graduate, his mind ran through a whole list of things that still needed to be done. There were pirates that still ran rampant in allied held space, fundamentalists spreading the seeds of cults into the hearts and minds of others, Secessionists unwilling to relinquish their hold on what was once the UNSC/UEG's and then there were the Insurrectionists still in the countless asteroid fields. But John couldn't really bring himself to care anymore.

He had done his part, and now he wanted rest. He wanted to have the very thing everyone else took for granted, the very thing people like him bled and died for. He was still willing to take up arms once more to defend Earth and whatever was left of her colonies, but now, he wanted rest. All his life, he had been on the move, always had something to commit himself to. Having a break in that rollercoaster routine would be nice, a week or two of _nothing_, just wandering through the city streets and trying to enjoy what made _humanity_.

Though deep in his heart of hearts, he knew it was impossible. There was no way in hell those nightmares would leave him, no way in hell Cortana's teary goodbye would fade away. No one asks to be a hero; it just turns out that way. John knew his larger than life image, his godly presence, he knew he had it. But it came at a cost he never wanted to pay. The faces of all those who had died beside him were still fresh in his mind.

John took in a deep breath as he closed his ice blue eyes, smelling the scent of the salty air. He was walking along the beach, wearing appropriate civilian clothing. Groups of friends and family celebrated around barbeques and bon fires. They were all just happy that the long war was finally over. But John could see it in their eyes; they believed that this peace was just another; 'calm before the storm', so they were making the most out of their party.

Some of the people were crying over loved ones lost, and grateful for the sacrifices they were. This war had affected everyone. But no one on the beach knew how much it had affected John, except for maybe one person.

He could hear her footfalls on the sand; she was the only one running on the sandy beach. Some of the younger males turned to admire her physique. John turned around and saw Kelly running up to him. Like everyone on the beach, she was barefoot and clad in attire appropriate for the tropics. Her long brown hair was flowing freely behind her instead of being tied into a pony tail.

Like John, she had a multitude of thin scars running along her body, some were from the augmentations and the rest were from battle. But she still had her beauty. Her heart shaped faced beamed at him when they made eye contact.

"There you are," Kelly said with a soft smile, glad that she had found him. "I tried calling."

"Sorry," John apologised to his childhood best friend. "I turned my COM off. I just…"

"…Wanted to be alone on your walk," Kelly finished. "But now that I'm here, you'd like me as company."

John gave a soft chuckle as she nudged him on the shoulder. "Company would be nice."

The two continued to walk along the beach, admiring the view of the garden city. A small number of people threw them curious glances. Personally, John didn't care, and he was sure Kelly wasn't either. The war was over, no one was out to kill them and everybody else was busy with their own domain.

He was just happy to finally enjoy a walk with his friend and forget about the war. As they drew closer to the entertainment district, John could hear the cheers of young adults cheering each other for sculling down drinks.

In a way, he regretted not being able to join them. But it hardly mattered with good company at his side. Plus, he couldn't get drunk anymore.

"They sound like they're having fun," Kelly commented. "Though getting piss drunk isn't my idea of having a fun time."

"So what is?" John asked.

She was the only person he could truly talk to, because she had been there since the start and remained at his side in battle when she should've been on an operating table. They were held together by a unique bond built upon a unique experience of war and clandestine operations.

"Caramel milkshake," Kelly laughed.

Her laugh was melodious and _real_. He couldn't help but join his voice to the symphony. She was the cheerful one, the one that cracked all kinds of jokes to brighten the mood. But only Fred and Linda noticed the decline of jokes when she had thought John was dead.

"Anything else?" John asked.

If only Johnson could see him now, the Sergeant Major would be having a field day with what was happening.

"Chocolate torte with ice-cream, hot scones with chocolate sauce and ice cream and icing sugar…"

"Noticing a lot of 'ice' there."

"I love just-ice," Kelly joked.

John groaned at the terrible pun. Only she could bring this reaction out of him.

"Moving on… I think having friends over while having a movie marathon."

"What movie?"

"Guess."

"Lord of the Rings extended edition?"

"Bingo!" Kelly smiled.

From a distance, they looked like any other normal people roaming the beaches. Just enjoying each other's company. It was nice just to be normal once more.

The two of them walked along the quite pier and sat down with their legs dangling over the edge. They listened to the laughter of people celebrating in the balconies of expensive restaurants and yachts gliding across the harbour.

"This is nice," she breathed, looking at the setting sun.

"It is," John agreed.

The soft wind blew onto shore and played with her hazel hair. Despite the scars, she still looked angelic. The Ancient Spartans would be proud of her indeed.

"Remember that time we were paired up for survival competition?" Kelly asked.

John gave a soft smile and nodded. _So she does remember._

"I always wondered where we would end up."

"And?"

"Never thought I'd be sitting here, just watching the sunset again, like we did back then."

"Hmm," John agreed. "Where do we go after this?"

"Hunting Innies, I guess," Kelly whispered.

"I'm tired," he sighed.

"You want to leave it all behind, don't you?"

"In a way, yes," John shrugged. "But I wouldn't leave it all behind forever. Maybe ease up a little."

"I understand."

She could see the pain and sadness in his azure eyes, like him, she wanted something more than just a life of constant fighting and killing. She looked back at the sapphire water that flowed below, softy lapping against the support struts of the pier.

"Do you them?" Kelly asked, thinking about fallen friends.

"Yes," he answered sincerely.

"I'm glad you're here," Kelly smiled softly, "with me."

"Me too."

John felt her hand brush against his before their fingers intertwined. She held her hand over his, gave him a beautiful smile and looked out over the harbour. With her free hand, she tucked stray locks of brunette hair behind her ears before shifting a bit closer to him.

He didn't mind, in fact, he revelled in it. Her touch did not make him uncomfortable, it made him warm and happy. Little nuances in her movement assured him that the bond they shared was one that was truly unique.

"Did you ever want something more?" John asked.

Kelly pondered the question. The soft sea winds flowed through, brushing her hair against his shoulder, and allowed him to smell her soft scent.

"A family, a home not on a base," she answered.

John angled his head towards her. "It's been quite a ride."

"The best and the worst," Kelly agreed as she reached out and brushed her fingers against his jaw, creating the Spartan smile. John returned the gesture, and before he knew it, he felt Kelly's lips on his.

He felt his heart climb and his spirit soar. This soft kiss was a promise and a sign of ultimate trust. It wasn't filled with lust but with true affection. Natural human instincts took over as Kelly migrated her way onto his lap. She placed one hand at the nape of his neck, and the other on his chest. John wrapped one arm around her waist, and the other across her upper back before pulling her in close.

They remained content that way for some time, thanks to their greater lung capacity. But eventually, they broke apart, and rested their foreheads against one another. From the upper limits of his sight, John could see the happy smile that formed across her swollen lips, glistening in the moonlight. He couldn't help but smile too.

She ran her thumb gently across the scar on his right eye, before cupping his cheeks and kissing him again. John let her control the tempo. He already had her straddling his hips. No one was near them, no one could see them. Everyone was busy with their own world.

John could feel himself willingly let go as the movement of their lips short circuited his mind. The greatest military figure reduced to a flustered man was something indeed. Kelly snaked her arms around his neck as he tilted his head.

Finally, they broke apart and Kelly was just content to be in his arms and feel his chest rise and fall beneath her.

"You have no idea how long I wanted to do that," she breathed. He could feel her breath brush past his cheek.

John gave a soft sigh of contentment.

"Had to wait four decades to get the right timing," she said with a laugh.

John chuckled. "Better late than never, Kelly."

"Mmm," she concurred.

It may have not been an ideal start, but John wouldn't have it any other way. He was with his childhood best friend who was now officially something more. He was happy with that.

Kelly shifted her position and sat on John's lap, leaning back into him.

"Aww, look at that Fred, aren't they cute!" Linda _'squealed'_.

John and Kelly turned in horror to see to the grinning faces of the other half of Blue Team.

"Pay up, Freddy boy," Linda laughed.

Fred rolled his eyes and pulled out his TACPAD to transfer the funds.

"You guys made bets on us?" Kelly asked incredulously.

"Mmhmm," Linda nodded happily.

"So much for a 'secret' relationship," Kelly sighed sarcastically.

"We've been caught…" John hinted.

"You. Wouldn't. Dare."

John grinned. He felt true joy and happiness, and for the first time in a long time, he felt _normal_, at peace. Kelly held onto his arms wrapped around her in a death grip. He pushed off the pier, and sent both of them into the still warm water. As they surface, with droplets streaming down their form, Linda was clutching her side laughing.

It wasn't lost on John however when Fred position himself behind her silently. Seconds later, a torpedo of black and red hair soared through the air before diving into the water. Kelly's laughter was rich and filled with pure joy as the Spartans just mucked around for the first time in their lives.

This was what they wanted, to enjoy something everyone took for granted. The laughter still continued as they reached the beach. John and Kelly held each other closely in a tight embrace as they walked back to the hotel.

John kept the soft smile on his face, this moment; this 'insignificant' moment was theirs. This was true happiness. Though he would be forever haunted by those he lost, he knew it wasn't going to be so hard now. With Kelly at his side and his friends backing them up, he was happy where he was.

He pulled Kelly in that much closer, and saw her smile. The smile that said everything was going to turn out alright in the end.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm not an avid John/Cortana supporter, mainly because Cortana is a digital copy of Doctor Halsey who is a mother figure to John.**

**I am however, a strong support of John/Kelly, mainly because they really have some really touching moments in the novels (It's hinted in **_**Halo Legends: Package**_**, albeit terribly), and they're best friends since childhood.**

**Anyway, please leave a review and tell me what you think.**


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